march 2013 rostrum
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Newsletter of the AIA Newark & Suburban Architects SectionTRANSCRIPT
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
AIA Newark and Suburban Architects A Section of AIA New Jersey
AIA New Jersey is a Chapter and Region of the American Institute of Architects
MARCH 2013
Issue 3
The Rostrum
Official newsletter of the
Newark & Suburban
Section of AIA-NJ
Published monthly
Submit events, case
studies, photos, comments,
or other content for
consideration to:
President’s Message 1
Design Awards - Save the Date
2
Regional Directors Report
4
Professional Practice Notes: Can we Talk Fees?
5
IDP on Valentine’s Day
6
Inside this issue: Center in Florham Park, New
Jersey. This was a joint meeting
with USGBC. North Branch
USGBC’s Patrick LaCorte, AIA
introduced RJ Donnelly of
D o n n e l l y S o l a r . T h e
presentat ion was very
informative and Continuing
Education credits were offered.
AIA-NS sponsored a Habitat For
Humanity (HFH) Event. This
event was held Saturday
evening February 23rd at the
Meadow Wood Manor in
Randolph, New Jersey. It was a
black tie optional event. There
was a silent auction, dancing
and many fun things. Mr. and
Mrs. Seth Leeb, Mr. and Mrs.
Paul Tiajaloff attended the
event along with me. Several
awards were presented and
Camille Allen, a Habitat
February has flown by and the
AIA Leadership Conference has
been rescheduled to March 2nd
due to Super Storm Sandy.
Our February board meeting
was held at my office, Fletcher
Thompson in Somerset, NJ. The
Board approved a $500
contribution to NJIT for their
IDP/A.R.E. Event held on
Valentine’s Day. Robert Ivy,
CEO of AIA National was
present and NCARB did a very
good job of explaining the
registration process. The board
also voted in a new Trustee :
Francisco Grimaldi, AIA. He
recently relocated from Virginia
to New Jersey and we would
like to welcome him.
Our First General Meeting was
held on February 21st at
Hamilton Park Conference
Homeowner explained how she
was a social worker and had
lost her home in a fire. It was
through a Habitat lottery that
she “won” her home. She
invested over 300 hours of work
in her home that took more
than two years to build. She is
eternally grateful to Habitat for
their assistance in giving her a
secure place to live.
The six-unit housing that Seth
Leeb designed for HFH in
Summit, NJ was highlighted.
AIANJ Leadership Conference
was held Saturday March 2nd
at the Community Fire Station
in East Brunswick, NJ. The Fire
Station was designed by none
other than AIANJ President,
Jack Purvis.
Continued on page 2
Rostrum 2013 Issue 3
Page 2
AIA Newark & Suburban
Board Members
Officers
LOUISE ADDONIZIO, AIA
President
JOHN A. CWIKLA, AIA
President-Elect
STEPHEN ROONEY, AIA
First Vice President
NATASHA SUZANSKY, AIA
Secretary
ALEX GOTTHELF, AIA
Treasurer
KEVIN McCORMICK, AIA
Past President
Trustees
Trustees 2013
YOGESH MISTRY, AIA
BILL MUNOZ, ALLIED
MEMBER
Trustees 2014
PAUL TIAJOLOFF, AIA
RONALD WESTON, AIA
JASON PEIST, ASSOC. AIA
ALOK SAKSENA, ASSOC.
AIA
Trustees 2015
DIEUJUSTE PIERRE, ASSOC.
AIA
FRANCISCO GRIMALDI,
AIA
Section Administrator
JULIE PAGNOTTA
AIA NS 2012 Committees
DESIGN AWARDS 2013 - Save the Date The Design Awards Committee is pleased to
announce that the 20th annual Newark and Suburban Design Awards will be held
Thursday, October 17, 2013 from 5:30-9:30 at The Morris Museum in Morristown. The
event, which we are calling “Design Awards 2013: A Night at the Museum”, promises
to be a truly memorable evening. Architecture will take its rightful place
alongside the Museum’s fine art exhibits as
our member firms’ best work will be displayed in the Entrance Pavilion and the Museum
Court. Members and guests can stroll through the Museum and view the project boards and
enjoy good food and wine in the Entrance Pavilion. We will be announcing the awards in
the Museum’s 300 seat Bickford Theatre with its state of the art sound and projection
system. To make the evening even more
special, we will be able to tour the Museum exhibits and galleries as well throughout the
night. And as always, there is the opportunity for good conversation and camaraderie with
your fellow AIA members.
This year I am excited to be joined on the Design Awards Committee by Judy Donnelly,
AIA (past President 2010); Julia Buteux, Assoc, AIA; and Wesley Corner, AIA. Please
look for further developments and announcements both here in the Rostrum and
on the Newark and Suburban web site.
We would also like to feature projects that were submitted (not necessarily awarded) in recent
Design Awards here in the Rostrum. If interested, please submit an article (500 word
max imum) about your p ro jec t to
[email protected]. You are welcome to submit additional images, or we can use the
images previously submitted for Awards.
And as always, we welcome your questions and
suggestions.
Donald Chin, AIA Newark and Suburban Design Awards Chairperson [email protected]
President’s Our next General meeting is on March 14th – a joint
meeting with CSI. It is at our usual venue: the
Parsippany Hilton. We hope to see all of you there.
AIA Grassroots Leadership conference in Washington,
DC is also coming up March 20 – 22. Attendance is
always a learning experience and learning units can be
earned.
Louise C. Addonizio AIA, PP, LEED BD+C,
NDICQ qualified,
President AIA Newark Suburban 2013
Continued from page 1
Rostrum 2013 Issue 3
Page 4
AIA Newark & Suburban
Links
Calendar
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The Sky is Falling, and Other Important Visits
While there has been recent
news of an asteroid coming close to earth, a meteor strike
in Siberia, a shooting star disappearing in the sky over
Los Angeles County, and Captain Kirk coming back from
the future, I think it is more important to report on some
other recent VISITORS to New
Jersey on the 14th and 15th of February.
Late last summer, I was contacted by Michael Soriano,
AIA who is serving as the NJ
State Board of Architects President. He was arranging
for executives of NCARB to come to a meeting of the State
Board and then take a tour of NJIT CoA&D. That would be
followed by an informational meeting for the students on
IDP/ARE. Michae l was
wondering if I could invite Robert Ivy, FAIA who has
been serving as CEO and Executive Vice President of AIA
since the end of 2010. His thoughts were, and I agreed,
that Mr. Ivy would be the draw to bring out the students,
especially since the day
eventually chosen for the event was Valentine’s Day.
Well to my surprise just a week before the event I was
informed that along with Ivy,
Mickey Jacob, FAIA our new National President, would be
joining him and be in attendance for what turned
out to be a very informative evening.
This event was organized with
the help of NJIT’s Career Services led by Jane Gaertner,
along with Ashton Quinton, Associate AIA (IDP Chair) who
served as panel moderator and Jason Peist, Associate AIA
(AIANJ-RAD) who helped bring
back many of the graduates through our social media links.
The idea behind the event was
that each of the panel members would address the
assembled and then respond to questions about IDP, A.R.E.,
Licensing and the Practice of OUR profession that they are
studying. The sometimes-long process before they too can be
called an architect has been
compared to a falling sky where they have to dodge the
many obstacles that are put before them. Hopefully we
were able to clear the way for most of them.
I much appreciated Michael
requesting our help in pulling off this event despite the
difficulty with coordinating everyone’s schedules for
Valentine’s Day. The important thing is that for the first time
in a long time, the different
entities of the State Board of Architects, NCARB, Career
Services and AIA were able to work together to provide a
much needed service for NJIT CoA&D students and Emerging
Professionals already involved in the process of securing their
license.
I am sure because of the
success of this event that this new way of working together
for the benefit of our Emerging Professionals will continue.
My heartfelt thanks also goes
out to both Robert and Mickey who were able to work their
schedules into ours.
I was able to take Mickey
“down the shore” on the very
next day where he could see the extensive damage caused
months before by Super Storm Sandy. I want to report that
AIA has stepped up and provided some funding that
the Chapter will use in the near future to help many that
were hurt by the devastation
of this great storm. It is truly a great feeling that the parent
organization is there when you need it and the reason why we
all should support AIA in whichever way works best for
each of us.
Jerome Leslie Eben, AIA AIANJ Regional Director, ’11-‘13
Solution to last month’s crossword:
Rostrum 2013 Issue 3
Page 5
Professional Practice Notes: Can We Talk Fees?
A few AIA Newark & Suburban
members have suggested to me recently that it would be helpful
for the Institute to provide more guidance and information on how
to e f fect ive ly compute compensation and fees to
improve the financial prospects of the profession. So the question is
“can we talk fees?” And as
established AIA practitioners understand the answer to this
basic question is yes and no.
Yes, we can and should share
information on compensation
approaches and general methods. And, we certain need to
collectively promote the value of Architects and offer suggestions
on methods practitioners can use to calculate fee models that
competitively meet client budgets and provide a reasonable return
to keep us in business.
No, the AIA (and AIA members) cannot discuss with competitors
or other members specific prices, rates, costs, discounts, or other
charges for services that affect
prices. While back in the ‘good old days’ the AIA once published fee
schedules for Architects to conveniently refer to when pricing
jobs and preparing proposals, anti-trust law challenges years ago
put an end to the establishment of standard fee percentage and
rate ranges.
In fact, before I go on it would be appropriate for me to advise
readers “It is the practice of the American Institute of Architects
and its members to comply
strictly with all laws, including federal and state antitrust laws
that apply to AIA operations and activities.”
So that said, let’s scratch the
surface here by talking about types of fees. There are a number of common methods of computing compensation or
architecture and design services. The various AIA Document “B-
series” Standard Forms of
Agreement Between Owner and Architect, and their companion
instructions, are a good source for types of fees and consistent
contract and proposal language to share with clients. The most
common types of fees, and their applications are as follows:
Time-based Fee Structures
Hourly billing can utilize fixed
dollar rates (such as $150 per hour) or they can use a fee
multiplier. There are two types of multipliers – one is a multiplier of
“Direct Salary Expenses” and another is a multiplier of “Direct
Personnel Expenses”. Direct Personnel Expenses are the most
common.
The most common application for time-based fees (e.g. time &
materials using hourly billing rates) is when the scope of the
work is not very comprehensive
or is unknown, and with existing clients who trust this open-ended
method of billing. Generally speaking, most people don’t like
being charged an hourly fee for fear of getting a surprise when
the final bill comes. When the work is charged hourly, Architects
can reduce concerns for their
client by capping the amount or identifying financial milestones
with “upsets” that indicate progress along the way.
Stipulated Lump Sum or Fixed
Fee
Lump Sum or Fixed Fee
arrangements are only suitable if the scope of the project, the
schedule for design and approvals, and the construction
schedule can be determined with
reasonable accuracy by the Architect. The fixed fee for such
assignments is negotiated after the Architect and Consultants have prepared a comprehensive estimate of work hours and
overhead costs. The AIA, and other design publications, have
sample fee calculation worksheets
that have been developed to translate the project level of effort
into a cost loaded work plan and fee.
Percentage of Cost of the
Work
A percentage-based fee is a
method of compensation which links the fee for the Architect’s
services to a percentage of the
construction cost of the project. The percentage will vary
depending on the type of building, the construction value,
and the type of construction contract. Fee ranges are quite
broad – from 4% of construction on the low end for large-scale,
low-complexity projects, to 15%
for small-scale custom projects. This remains a preferred method
of determining fees for many Architects; however, some clients
have the perception that this arrangement does not incentivize
the Architect enough to keep construction costs in budget.
With percentage fees, it is
important to be clear about what counts as part of the “cost of
construction.” One rule of thumb is to consider any scope where
design coordination is required to
be part of the cost of construction for fee purposes; so site work or
furnishings can be in or out of the construction cost depending on
the Architect’s role.
Unit Fee Cost
Less common, but sometimes
encountered with developers or commercial real estate owners
are cost per square foot, or cost per room / unit type fees.
Building tenant fit-out design is
one sector where clients are used to establishing their costs using
square foot units, including the design fees.
In some instances the project and
stakeholders will be best served
Continued on p.7
Rostrum 2013
Page 6
IDP & A.R.E. Seminar Valentine On February 14, 2013, AIANJ and
NJIT Career Development Services, with the help of Jane
Gaertner, hosted the IDP and A.R.E. Seminar at NJIT. On this
Valentine’s Day, several involved and concerned groups came
together to ignite the passion of profession of architecture by
educating, and creating a drive
for our emerging professionals as they embark on their road to
licensure.
The event was well attended by
students, post-graduates and
architects. The moderator for the evening, Ashton Quintin Jr.,
Associate AIA, the AIANJ IDP Coordinator, started by introducing
the panelists for the evening. They were Jerry L. Eben, AIA, the
Regional Director for AIANJ; Michael Soriano, AIA, the President
of the State Board of Architects;
Michael J. Armstrong, AIA, CEO of NCARB and Robert Ivy, FAIA, CEO/
EVP for AIA. Guest speakers included Joseph Abello from the NJ
State Board of Architects and Martin Smith, AIA, Manager for the
Intern Development Program. The event was a joint effort among
NJIT CoAD AIAS Chapter, AIA
Newark and Suburban Architects and AIANJ.
The panel provided keen professional advice to numerous
questions, while inserting their own
experiences into the discussions, making the event feel more
personal to the audience. Mr. Armstrong stated that as students
graduate they will find a field of acronyms B.Arch, NCARB, A.R.E.,
LEED, AIA, USGBC, PP, CSI, etc.. He explained that each
acronym has a meaning with
which the student will become familiar in regard to specific
standards and requirements of becoming a registered architect.
The event specifically focused on the IDP and A.R.E. requirements
as many of the attendees were just beginning the process in their
careers. Mr. Smith began by
discussing when a student can
open a NCARB record and begin
recording their ‘experience’. He discussed the different work
settings in which candidates can gain experience and how many
hours must be acquired. Smith then moved into reviewing the
seven divisions of the A.R.E. and also gave a quick overview of the 5
-year rolling clock. He mentioned
the fact that the A.R.E. tests will undergo a blackout starting July 1,
2013. During that period no tests will be administered, but anyone
already in the testing process will receive a 12-week extension to
their 5-year rolling clock time.
Martin’s main message was to start early and formulate a plan that
works for you. For more information please visit http://
ncarb.org/.
Mr. Abello’s presentation gave an overview of the prerequisites for an
architect’s license in the state of New Jersey, the required
components of the 3 E’s: Education, Experience and Exam.
The education third requires the
person to receive a professional degree from a NAAB-accredited
program. The experience portion entails completion of the IDP
process, and of course the successful completion of the A.R.E.
exam.
Abello also reviewed application for licensure and the associated fees,
which are currently $160 for a 2-
year period. He also discussed the need to complete continuing
education courses as part of licensure. For more information
p l e a s e v i s i t h t t p : / /www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/arch/
As the Regional Associate Director
for NJ, Jason Peist, Assoc. AIA reiterated the importance of AIA to
those who may not know its purpose or value. For emerging
professionals, AIA is not only an obvious choice for those seeking
work, but also those who are
seeking insight, importance and mentorship. IDP provides
preliminary guidelines for those seeking to become architects, but
AIA provides continuing knowledge to become a leader in the
profession.
Mr. Ivy spoke of his route to licensure and where it had brought
him over his long career. He introduced Mickey Jacob, FAIA, the
President of AIA who had come to town with him, and who planned
to travel with Mr. Eben on the
following day to tour Super Storm Sandy ravaged areas of the New
Jersey Shore.
Jason Peist, Assoc. AIA & John Cwikla, AIA contributed to this article. Jason is 2013-2014 Regional Associate Director for NJAIA National Associates Committee, and John is President-Elect of AIA Newark & Suburban Section.
Panelists at the IDP/ARE Seminar at NJIT/CoAD
Rostrum 2013 Issue 3
Page 7
by a combination of the above methods of compensation rather
than one single fee. For example, in the dealing with Authorities
Having Jurisdiction and obtaining approvals for a project, which can
be indeterminate in complexity and time, it may be fair to
compensate the Architect on an
agreed-to hourly rate. However,
the later phase project documentation would be
compensated on a percentage fee based on the construction cost for
the project.
As the design and construction markets continue to show upward
momentum in early 2013, with five months in a row of AIA Billing Index
(ABI) increases, it is important for
Architects to refresh their fee
development methods and approach to make sure project
compensation supports the health and growth of your practice.
Ronald C. Weston, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, / AIA NS Professional Practice
Committee Chair
Can We Talk Fees? Continued from page 5